PSY286 Unit Guide for year 2021 students PDF

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Unit guide for students in the year 2021. Includes topics for pamphlet and essay questions....

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PSY286 Psychology: Human Development

Unit Information and Learning Guide

September Trimester, 2021 Please refer to this unit guide in the first instance for any questions, and contact us if the answer is not already in this guide or if something is not clear. This information should be read in conjunction with the online learning materials (on your MyUnits page) and the announcements on LMS.

Unit coordinator Dr. Shu Hui Yau Discipline of Psychology College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education Contact details: [email protected]

© Published by Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, 2021. Originally written by Bree Abbott, January 2014. Modified by Suzanne Dziurawiec 2015 – 2017 and Geraldine O’Brien 2018. Modified by Shu Hui Yau 2019, 2021. This publication is copyright. Except as permitted by the Copyright Act no part of it may in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any other means be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be broadcast or transmitted without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Welcome to PSY286, Psychology, Human Development Unit overview This unit examines human life span development from conception through to death. This unit examines questions that ask why humans develop the way they do? The major developmental theories are presented and the biosocial, cognitive and psychosocial influences on the individual are studied and integrated to understand the developing person.

Prerequisites Prerequisites: PSY141 Introduction to Psychological Science, OR PSY173 Introduction to Psychological Research Methods, OR PSY101 Introduction to Cultural Psychology, OR PSY172 Introduction to Psychological Health and Wellbeing. Students who have successfully completed PSY247 Psychology: Human Development may not enrol in this unit for credit.

Aims and Objectives The broad aims of this unit are to: 1. provide an overview of the nature and scope of developmental psychology, including its theories, research methodologies and applications. 2. promote understanding of the developing person at different periods in the lifespan. 3. develop analytical skills regarding the application of human development research.

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Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) Graduate Competencies The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) sets national standards for undergraduate psychology programs. These standards explicitly reference a set of six foundational competencies. These graduate competencies (GC) are: 1.1 Comprehend and apply a broad and coherent body of knowledge of psychology, with depth of understanding of underlying principles, theories and concepts in the discipline, using a scientific approach, including the following topics: i. the history and philosophy underpinning the science of psychology and the social, cultural, historical and professional influences on the practice of psychology ii. individual differences in capacity, behaviour and personality iii. psychological health and well-being iv. psychological disorders and evidence-based interventions v. learning and memory vi. cognition, language and perception vii. motivation and emotion viii. neuroscience and the biological bases of behaviour ix. lifespan developmental psychology x. social psychology xi. culturally appropriate psychological assessment and measurement xii. research methods and statistics. 1.2 Apply knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals. 1.3 Analyse and critique theory and research in the discipline of psychology and communicate these in written and oral formats. 1.4 Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate values and ethics in psychology. 1.5 Demonstrate interpersonal skills and teamwork. 1.6 Demonstrate self-directed pursuit of scholarly inquiry in psychology.

Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to : 1. Discuss the major theoretical frameworks used in the study of developmental psychology and aspects of life span development from conception to the end of life (APAC GC 1.1 and 1.5); 2. Explain how various research methodologies are used to study the development of children, adolescents and adults, in line with relevant theories and principles of developmental psychology (APAC GC 1.1 and 1.2); 3. Critically evaluate current issues in developmental psychology against published research (APAC GC1.3 and GC 1.6); 4. Critical thinking in the application of your learning to a practical problem or issue in developmental psychology, with a focus on description, prediction/ explanation and optimisation, for communication to a relevant audience (APAC GC 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6)

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Contact details Unit Coordinator The coordinator for PSY286 Psychology: Human Development is Dr Shu Yau ([email protected])

Lecturer/s Your lecturer will provide you with his/her details in the first class. He/she will be your first point of contact. Note : Please allow 3 working days for a reply from us before sending a follow up email

Technical and Textbook Help For technical difficulties with LMS, contact IT services: [email protected] In case you are unable to contact your unit coordinator, please contact

For issues with textbook or online resources contact the Cengage representative Email : [email protected] Phone : 1300 790 853 FAQs website : cengagebrain.com.au/shop/faq-page

How to study this unit To gain the most out of this unit, • Come to the lectures and take lecture notes more effectively - some excellent tips here https://digest.bps.org.uk/2019/04/04/what-do-todays-students-get-right-andwrong-in-how-they-take-lecture-notes/ • Do the required weekly readings from the textbook or journal before the lecture. After the lecture, engage in self-directed learning from textbook questions or online quizzes and journal articles recommended as further reading

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Learning activities The course will be delivered through 7 sessions held in every second teaching week. Each session will be comprised of both lecture and tutorial content. The lectures will provide you with unit content and the tutorials will give you the opportunity to extend some of the lecture material and to experience some hands-on activities. Your online unit resources and Echo360 recordings can be accessed from your My Units page.

Time commitment and attendance See the Unit Policy and the guideline for an average student workload of 50 hours for one credit point. As this is a 3-credit point unit, we expect you to spend on average 12.5 hours/week for the 12 weeks of this teaching period (or 150 hours overall) working on this unit. Discussion of the assignments will take place in the tutorials and in-class activities must be completed in these meetings, so (online) attendance is a requirement.

Unit changes in response to student feedback In response to student feedback requesting more emphasis on Australian, New Zealand and Asian developmental research, a new textbook was introduced to the unit in 2014. This text book was revised in 2019 (third edition); this edition is preferred over the older textbook, as it contains the latest ideas and research that your exam will be based on. This textbook has additional web-based support materials to assist your learning, e.g. online quizzes.

Resources for this unit To undertake study in this unit, you will need: Essential textbook Sigelman, C. K., De George, L., Cunial, K., & Rider, E. A. (2019). Lifespan human development (3rd Australian and New Zealand edition). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170415910 This textbook contains the required readings and can be bought in your local bookshop, or Cengage online. Online and physical copies (limited) of this textbook can also be found in the Murdoch library. Other references/recommended reading to help you write your developmental essays Burton, L. J. (2021). An interactive approach to writing essays and research reports in psychology (5th ed.). Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons Australia. O’Shea, R. P. & McKenzie, W.(2013). Writing for psychology (6th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning.

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Lecture Schedule Session 1.

Required reading Chapter 1

Chapter 2 2.

Chapter 3

Chapter 4 3.

Chapter 5 Chapter 6

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Chapter 7 Chapter 8

5.

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

6.

Chapter 11

Chapter 12 & 13

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Topic Understanding life span human development Theories of human development Genes, environment and the beginnings of life Body, brain and health Cognitive development Sensory perception, attention and memory Intelligence and creativity Language, literacy and learning Self, personality, gender and sexuality Social cognition and moral development

Tutorial 1. Introduction & discussion of assignments.

Assessments Assessment 1: RE 1

2. IVF vs. natural conception.

Assessment 1: RE2

3. Intelligence tests and culture.

Assessment 1: RE3 Assessment 2 due on LMS

4. Education and Gender

Assessment 1: RE4

5. Friendships & successful ageing

Assessment 1: RE5 Assessment 3: Research Essay due on LMS

Emotions, attachment and social relationships Developmental psychopathology & The final challenge: Death and dying Unit summary

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Assessment Assessment for this unit is conducted in accordance with the Assessment Policy and detailed on the next page.

Schedule of assessment items You will be assessed on the basis of: Assessment

Description

Value

Due Date

Assessment 1

Review Exercises

5%

Assessment 2

Client Information Pamphlet Research Essay

25%

Throughout scheduled tutorials – so attendance is important 18th October, 5pm on LMS

40%

15th November, 5pm on LMS

Assessment 3 Assessment 4

Final examination: 30% University’s examination period Multiple –choice questions and some short answer questions Note : Please ensure that you click Submit on LMS, otherwise your assignment will be saved as a draft and marked as unsubmitted. Please also check that you have submitted the correct assignment/version of assignment as we do not accept a change/swap of submission after the due date.

Assessment details Assessment 1: Review Exercises APAC attributes assessed: GC 1.1, GC 1.5 Value: 5% Due date: Throughout scheduled tutorials A brief review exercise will be undertaken during each of the five tutorials. You will be expected to complete some reading before each tutorial. This reading will be a chapter from your assigned text (Sigelman, De George, Cunial, & Rider, 2019) or a handout – check on LMS and with your lecturer. You will be given credit for completing these exercises and will be able to learn from these in-class activities, which will comprise short recognition and recall tasks and participation in groups. These exercises will serve as prompts for active engagement and practice with the subject matter. As such, achieving a specific mark for these exercises is less important than the springboard that they provide for further learning.

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Assessment 2: Client Information Pamphlet APAC attributes assessed: GC 1.2, GC 1.6

This assignment is designed to provide students the chance to condense critical information and translate relevant academic literature from developmental psychology into an accessible client-based format. Being able to condense and present crucial information concisely is an important skill to develop as a psychologist and in the workplace. Students are required to choose a topic from the list provided and prepare an information pamphlet directed at ONE specific client group (parent, expecting mother, middle age person, elderly individual or carer of an elderly person). As a minimum, you must cite FIVE articles from peer-reviewed journal articles. The Pamphlet is NOT an essay, so avoid long sentences and lengthy paragraphs of information. You may use bullet-points, and creative structure and design to present information so that it is easily digestible for your target audience. Remember that your main aim is to interpret research evidence (journal articles) to accurately inform the public. To guide you through this, we have provided a marking guide (which further breaks down what we look for in your pamphlet), a pamphlet template, and further instructions etc on LMS. Check that the correct assignment has been submitted and NOT saved as ‘draft’. Pamphlet Tips • Present a balanced view based on relevant academic literature. • Use clear and short sentences targeted at the general public • Avoid personal judgement/opinion, emotional pleas and sensationalized language – use objective, non-biased language so as to not to isolate or stigmatise groups in your target clientele/audience. E.g. mothers who cannot breastfeed are not ‘irresponsible’, children who have conduct disorder are not ‘problematic’ or ‘broken’. • Leave enough time to do a print-test of the pamphlet to ensure the hardcopy is in pamphlet form. Also leave time to check that you have done your in-text citations and references in APA : https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and _style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html . Failure to submit a ‘pamphlet’ and/or consistently cite will result in a capped mark of 50%. • The information pamphlet must adhere to the main goals of developmental psychology; Description, Prediction and Explanation, and Optimization (see page 16 of your textbook for what these are). Students are encouraged to make pamphlets creative and interesting but all pamphlets must include: • A definition of the main issue (description) and explanation of any jargon

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• A discussion of the main issue (prediction and explanation) within the parameters of the developmental period it relates to (i.e., prevalence rates, individuals most at risk, impact on development, relation to other issues) • Evidence-based client advice or information designed to optimize development (i.e., warning signs, ways to reduce impact/prevention/enhance development) • All information MUST be evidence-based, using peer-reviewed journal articles (not personal judgement, ‘internet facts’ or opinion). This means in-text citations and references must be included. Failure to do this will result in a capped mark of 50%. • The inclusion of additional information sources for clients, for example, hotlines, websites, professional services, or support groups.

Pamphlet Topic List –Pick ONE. You may be creative with the title. •

Feeding Your Baby: ‘The Breast’ or ‘The Bottle’? (aimed at parents/carers of children)

•

Tantrum Tactics: Dealing with Toddler Outbursts (aimed at parents/carers of children)

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A Developmental Disorder of your choice (aimed at parents/carers/teachers of children) – e.g. Autism, ADHD, Attachment Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Dyslexia

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Risky Business: Adolescents and Unsafe Sex (aimed at adolescents themselves, parents of adolescents, teachers)

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Coping with Mid-life Crisis (aimed at middle-aged adults)

•

Elder Care: Preserving Dignity (aimed at elderly individuals and/or their carers/professionals)

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Assessment 3: Research Essay APAC attributes assessed: GC 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6 Value: This assignment is a formal research essay worth 35% of your overall grade for the unit. Human Development Simulation The simulation can be accessed via the PSY286 homepage on LMS. Under ‘Simulation’, click on ‘Human Development’, and then ‘Enter’. The simulation is based on the life of ‘Jenny’, beginning from infancy and continuing through to late adulthood. You will need to make decisions about Jenny’s characteristics (e.g., is she born a healthy full-term baby or a pre-term baby with ongoing health issues?), her family background (e.g., her parents’ occupation and SES), and then some of the challenges she faces along her developmental pathway. The research essay questions are based on some of the ‘decisions’ that must be made at different stages in Jenny’s life. To understand these decisions in context you will need to complete the simulation. Please note: it will take approximately 20 minutes to complete the simulation. If you leave the simulation before completing it, your progress will not be saved. That is, when you go back to the simulation you will need to start from the beginning again. Once completed, you will be able to download a Pdf document that outlines the choices available and the choices that you made for Jenny, for you to reflect on.

Essay Questions – pick one After completing the simulation you are required to choose ONE of the following research topics to base your essay on : 1. Infancy: Twelve-month-old Jenny Decision 2: Brother’s School Play Jenny’s mother wishes to attend the school play in which Jenny’s older brother has a part. She is unable to get a babysitter and decides to leave Jenny in the crèche while she attends the performance. Research Essay Question : There has been much debate about the placement of very young children in day care or early learning centres. With reference to infants’ cognitive, psychological and social development, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of placing young children (i.e., infants – pre-school age) in long day care. Consider the following articles, which have been placed in the resources section on LMS or can be found on Google Scholar : Harrison, L. J. (2008). Does child care quality matter? Associations between socio-emotional

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development and non-parental child care in a representative sample of Australian children. Family Matters, 79, 14-25. Vermeer, H. J., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2006). Children's elevated cortisol levels at daycare: A review and meta-analysis. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 21(3), 390-401. 2. Pre-schooler: Four-year-old Jenny Decision 1: Shopping Jenny’s mother has to go shopping, and takes Jenny with her. While her mother is distracted, Jenny decides to ‘help out’ by going to a different store to look for another item on the shopping list. Jenny’s mother is both frightened and angry when she notices that Jenny is just about to cross a busy street by herself. She grabs Jenny and scolds her. Research Essay Question : Spare the rod, spoil the child? Present an argument outlining the reasons why parents should OR should not be allowed to physically punish (i.e., smack) their children, with reference to the cognitive, psychological and social impact of physical punishment on child development. Consider the following articles, which have been placed in the resources section on LMS or can be found on Google Scholar : Durrant, J. (2012). Physical punishment of children: Lessons from 20 years of research. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 184, 1373-1377. Letters: Child discipline. [Four letters presented on the topics of child discipline: Weak evidence for a smacking ban; Parents need techniques for behavioural control; Occasional smacking does no harm; and Parents must be in charge of their children]. 3. Middle Childhood: Nine-year-old Jenny Decision 2: Test at School Jenny has an important test coming up at school, and is given some practice examples for homework. When she gets home she decide...